The present invention relates generally to optical networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for auditing the network to identify the operational parameters of network elements and create an audit report.
An optical network consists of a number of interconnected elements operating in the synchronous optical network (SONET) layer and optical layer of the network, all of which must be operating correctly and within valid operating parameters. It is especially important that all elements be operating correctly before performing a software upgrade or network reconfiguration. This requires that an audit be performed upon each of the elements in the network.
Creating a network audit report comprises three major processes. The first of these processes typically involves the gathering of network element information by capturing network element information files from the command line user interface (CLUI) of each element. The second involves the evaluation of the captured network element information files to determine if xe2x80x9cfindingsxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94i.e. elements which are outside valid operating parametersxe2x80x94have occurred due to performance or configuration issues. The final process calls for the findings to be recorded in a formal report that lists the findings, a probable cause, and corrective procedures. The formal network audit report, upon completion, is submitted to the customer.
A serious problem arises in the second process, namely, the evaluation of the captured network element information files. An experienced engineer familiar with all operating aspects of the network element""s configuration and software load can spend upwards of 40 minutes analyzing the data to determine if a network element is operating within properly configured bounds and a typical network may contain 30 to 40 elements.
One approach to addressing this problem is the Preside(trademark) Software Upgrade Management tool of Nortel Networks Corporation. This utility performs a pre-check of the network element s before attempting to perform software upgrade or network reconfiguration. However, the Preside(trademark) tool only performs three checks on the network element and only identifies that a problem exists, not the reason or cause of the problem. It also requires experienced personnel to then troubleshoot the network element to determine what the problem is, which may require three to four hours to completely evaluate a network of 30 to 40 nodes. It further requires an IP address and uses TCP/IP as its means of communicating with the network elements, whereas personnel troubleshooting a network element typically use a modem connection in order to access the network element. Moreover, most network elements do not have an IP address, making them invisible to Preside(trademark). Furthermore, since more than one operations controller can control the network elements in a network, Preside(trademark) must discover what span of control each operations controller has and whether or not the network element is within that operations controller""s span of control, if TCP/IP is to be used to communicate to the network element through the operations controller.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a method of auditing a network to identify the operational parameters of network elements, particularly malfunctioning network elements, and to generate a report which allows skilled personnel to quickly and effectively identify areas of functionality of a deployed network element that is operating incorrectly by reading through the report. This could then be used to determine if the network elements that make up a network""s topology are ready for a network reconfiguration or upgrade. If any of the network elements are identified as having a xe2x80x9cfindingxe2x80x9d then those network elements are evaluated and corrective measures effected before a software upgrade or network reconfiguration is executed. Otherwise, the software upgrade or network reconfiguration can fail.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one disadvantage of previous systems and methods for auditing optical networks. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to automate an auditing function, and to generate a report that identifies malfunctioning network elements in a readily understandable format.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of auditing an optical communications network to determine operational states of network elements. The method consists of first retrieving operational data from a plurality of network elements. The data can be retrieved by polling the network elements via a serial connection, using, for example, a modem, or by accessing static data capture files. Next, the operational data is evaluated to determine an operational parameter for a given network element. In a presently preferred embodiment, the operational data is evaluated by processing network interface command lines within data capture files. If the operational parameter is determined to be invalid, it is flagged as an invalid operational parameter. To determine if the operational parameter is invalid, it can be compared to predetermined operational specifications for the given network element. If the operational parameter falls outside a predetermined operating range, it is considered invalid. The evaluation and determination steps are repeated for all operational parameters related to the given network element, and then again for each remaining network element. Once the evaluation is completed, a findings report is generated. The findings report lists any of the plurality of network elements determined to have at least one invalid operational parameter, displays details of each invalid operational parameter, and provides a finding status for each invalid operational parameter.
In a further aspect, there is provided a method of auditing a synchronous optical network to identify malfunctioning network elements, and a computer program product embodying the method. The method commences with entering a directory location for network element data files. The network element data file for a given network element is then retrieved from the directory location, and verified as valid. The valid file is then opened and a network interface command line is read. If the network interface command line is valid, it is processed to determine if operational parameters for the given network element are outside valid predetermined operating ranges. Any operational parameters so determined are flagged and stored in a network element findings file. These steps are repeated for each network element, and a summary findings file is created that encapsulates the network element findings files to provide a report listing any of the plurality of network elements determined to have findings, displaying details of the findings, and providing a finding status for each finding. A computer program product, residing on a computer useable medium and embodying this method is also provided.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product, residing on a computer-useable medium, for auditing an optical communications network to determine operational states of network elements. The computer program product includes a data capture module stored on the computer-useable medium for retrieving operational data from a plurality of network elements via a serial connection, and for storing the operational data in data capture files. An evaluation module is communicatively coupled to the data capture module. The evaluation module evaluates the operational data to determine operational parameters for the plurality of network elements, determines if the determined operational parameters are invalid, and flags the invalid operational parameters. A reporting module communicatively coupled to the evaluation module generates a findings report for the plurality of network elements. The findings report lists any of the plurality of network elements determined to have at least one invalid operational parameter, displays details of the at least one invalid operational parameter, and provides a finding status for the at least one invalid operational parameter.
In still a further aspect, the present invention provides an auditor for auditing an optical communications network to determine operational states of network elements. The auditor consists of a serial connection for communicating with a plurality of network elements in an optical communications network, and a data capture module for retrieving operational data from the plurality of network elements via the modem. The data capture module also stores the operational data in data capture files. An evaluation module evaluates the operational data to determine operational parameters for the plurality of network elements, and to determine if the determined operational parameters are invalid. If the operational parameters are invalid, they are flagged. A reporting module can then generate a findings report for the plurality of network elements. The findings report lists any of the plurality of network elements determined to have at least one invalid operational parameter, displays details of the at least one invalid operational parameter, and provides a finding status for the at least one invalid operational parameter.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.